Trip in in the books!

I leave the trip posting up so people can research what we have done in the past, and how it was advertised.  For now, here are some of the links, pics and vids from myself and others from the trip!

Everything here and below was pre trip information prior to May 2024

Availability update as of 4/17/24.  One female share space available on the liveaboard.  If you want to go on other parts I will put you on a waiting list (if needed).  Something will probably come up for someone.  With a full boat life happens and someone might need to not go.

Philippines Schedule May 2024

Last time we went to Philippines (2019 Trip Report) we did 3 resorts in two weeks.  This time we are doing three weeks, one week land based before and after the centerpiece, a Tubbataha liveaboard.  Each of these weeks is bookable separately.

Matt and Sheila’s travel arrangements

To Magic Oceans:

Sheila and I have chosens to leave HNL at 11:50am on April 29th on OZ231 (Asiana Airlines) via ICH and we arrive in Cebu on May 1st at 1am.  We booked these flights on https://flyasiana.com/

We used booking.com to book the Waterfront Hotel ($80 with breakfast option) check in on the 30th and out the 1st of May.

We are going to take the mid day ferry from Cebu to Bohol (TAG) 1st class for about $20 (resort will organize it).

Note: there was an option to go directly into TAG from Honolulu.  I opted for the slightly more convoluted route so that I would have better arrival times.  There is a PA flight that leaves on the 30th from HNL and arrives 8:35pm TAG which is reasonable, but the car ride to the resort is almost 3 hours, and that puts you arriving near midnight.  Either way, the resort will pick you up, just let me know when you are arriving TAG, or if you are going to mimic our flights.

From Bohol (TAG) t0 Puerto Princessa (PPS) on May 8th

Again, we opted for mid day travel and booked via AirAsia website.  TAG-MNL-PPS departing 12:25pm arriving PPS 7:05pm.  We booked the saver fares with 20kg bags and their website says they have a sporting equipment policy, but we were unable to book that in advance.  Rolling the dice here a bit.  PA airlines flights were an option with late arrival in PPS for a lot more $.

Our hotel that night is at the Best Western Plus The IvyWall Hotel.  Check in May 8th and out May 9th.  Booking.com has it currently for $75.  You can stay anywhere in town and get picked up for the boat the next day.  We picked this place as it was larger and everyone in the group should be able to make a booking there to keep it simple.  But do as you please and just let me know.

For those of you starting the trip with the boat.  I would target a May 8th in PPS arrival and meet the group at the hotel.

Boat boarding is 3-5pm on the 9th!  If you are late you are going to be glad you had trip insurance as the boat won’t wait for anyone.  Get trip insurance!  Dive accident insurance is mandatory so is your 50 logged dives.  So if you are not a logger start pencil whipping that!

From PPS to CEB on May 15th

There was a clear winner here for those of us going to Magic Islands.  Philippines Airlines flight PR12348 non stop mid day.

Many of you are heading home from here.  However, you did the hard work to get to Palawan.  You may want to at least look at the Puerto Princessa Underground River and think about add on a couple of days and a tour.

From CEB to HNL May 21st

We are taking PA flight PR2850 to Manila at 11:05am to connect to PR 100 back to Honolulu.  Cheaper flight back left at 7:35am, but there is a 3 hour transfer from the resort to the airport, so that would have us traveling at 2am.  Not up for that.

Week 1 – Magic Oceans resort Anda Bohol – May 1st to 8th, 2024

This resort is tried and true.  We’ve been coming to Magic Oceans for years, last time we had a pretty big Halloween Party and the staff is keeping up the tradition.  So this time, we are bringing the Cinco de Mayo. They probably won’t know what to do with that either, but these people are game!  The food at this resort is outstanding.  The diving is great too, I love the number of nudibranch here, and this is the only place I’ve ever seen a flamboyant cuttlefish.  It is four dives a day here with night dives.  You can go diving nuts here if you want!  Here is their website.  It has got a lot of images that give you a good idea about the private little piece of paradise.

$1744 per person dbl occ, $2399 per person single occ

Exclusions

• Nitrox $27 per day
• Bar – alcohol and soft drinks

Inclusions

• 1 Free Message
• 5 days unlimited diving
• 7 days full board
• Superior Deluxe Cottage
• Transfers from airport or ferry terminal (about 1.5 hour drive to Anda as I recall)

May 7th

Not a diving day so during the week we will see who wants to do what and take advantage of some of the Day Trips!  We did the river trip with the Fireflys, that was pretty cool  Sheila did the Tarsier tour.  I think the trekking tour to the island sounds like something I would like to try because you get to kayak through a mangrove forest.  Anyway, there are options.

May 8th

This is departure day, see what Matt and Sheila booked for flights above.

Sheila and I are booking into the Best Western Plus Ivywall Hotel.  Laundry, airport shuttle, and walking distance to town stuff.  You don’t have to go there, there a lot of nice looking little hotels around that would be suitable.  This one is middle of the road nice at about $90 with taxes for the night with breakfast included.

 

Week 2 – Tubbataha Liveaboard – May 9th to 15th 2024

May 9th to 15th aboard the Discovery Palawan.   Bucket list location.  There is good diving just about everywhere in the Philippines, but I don’t think you will find anyone argue that this isn’t the best in the Philippines and a top rated world dive site.  Not surprising that it is a world Heritage site.  You can see the diving schedule here.

Lower Deck $2578 per person dbl occ

Upper Deck $3058 per person dbl occ

Add $100 fuel surcharge and $105 park fee (subject to change) per person.  I have to collect it in advance and send it to the boat.

Getting There

If you are on week one then don’t worry about it, we will tell you what flight to book as it gets closer(see above) and what hotel to book. If you are joining us at the boat you need to be at the Puerta Princessa airport by 2pm on May 9th. Boarding is from 3-5pm and you can get picked up at a Puerto Princessa Hotel or airport (included) within 10km.  I will need this info of course. Or within 10km at a hotel.  We’ll be off the boat around 6 am (ouch) on the 15th. You can book a flight anytime after 9am.  Just FYI, if you miss the boat, you miss the boat.  It won’t wait for you and you won’t get a credit.  This is where Dive Trip Insurance comes in.  For this kind of trip, not getting it is highly risky.  You were warned!  Click the image below and you can get a quote based on your age, date and cost of trip.  If you are at Magic Ocean before, you are probably good, but if you are flying in internationally.  I would plan on 2 nights in Puerto Princessa in case of airline meltdown.

Exclusions

Dive Accident Insurance (mandatory) – link

Dive Trip Insurance (highly recommended) – link

Alcohol and soft drinks

Rental gear

Inclusions

Nitrox – this add on is free because we booked the whole boat at the trade show.  You are welcome!

Transfer to and from the airport and hotels within 10km

Notice!

You have to have logged 50 dives to go on this trip.  If you are not logging dives let me know and I can make a profile for you that shows number of dives.   The point is that the diving is all drift, open ocean and sometimes currents.  It is not a place to learn how to dive.  If you are new, just make sure you book Week One and I’ll make sure you are capable by the time you get there.

Week Three – Magic Island Resort in Moalbaol Cebu – May 15th to 21st

Magic Island is the orginal Magic resort, and a bit smaller than Magic Oceans, but we love it for that.  Again, the food here is just fantastic.  The diving is easy and there is so much life.  You get the big schools of reef fish that block out the sun along Moalboal.  And day trips from here include a whale shark snorkel/dive and a waterfall tour (though we may be saturated with whale shark sightings from Tubbataha).

$1385 dbl occ, $1870 single occ

Getting there

Most of us will be coming off the boat in Puerto Princessa, then flying to Cebu, then taking a 3 hour van ride to Magic Island.  The flight is not included, but not too expensive.  If you are coming just for this week, arrive in Cebu anytime on the 15th of May.  Transfers from the airport to the resort are included.  There is a reasonable airport hotel in Cebu if you want to arrive late on the 14th, stay the night at the airport, and do the 3 hour van ride the next day (not an unreasonable plan).

Inclusions

• 6 nights stay in Superior Deluxe Cottage with full board
• 4 days unlimited diving (night and shore dives included)

Exclusions

• soft drinks and alcohol
• Nitrox is $27 per day

Can’t get enough and want to stay longer

If you want to extend this trip we can set you up to get to Dumaguete pretty easily by ferry.  Dumaguete is also a famous diving destination and we recommend to resorts at two price points.  Atlantis Dumaguete (higher price point) and Azure (lower price point).  We have been to Azure and enjoyed the beachside air-conditioned location.  We food was only good (yes, we are spoiled).  However, the diving is fantastic.  Some of their shallow artificial reef sites along the shore were super fun finding the small critters.  I didn’t price these out, and you may be extending without Matt and Sheila joining you, but we are happy to make it happen.  Here are some price guesses: $2500 for a week at Atlantis and $1500 for a week at Azure, full board with diving.

Book it Dan O

Which is kinda funny because Dan O is booking it.  For the rest of you email matt@islanddivershawaii.com and I’ll get your number and we can chat about it.  If you are on first trip with us you’d probably like to talk to someone before you start sending money to a PO Box in Hawaii.  That is understood.  For those of you that know us already you can just send $500 deposit for each of week one and three and $1000 deposit for week two Tubbataha liveaboard week.  Remember that any money you send me isn’t refundable, so trip insurance is a thing!  Especially on trips like this that are bigger investments in time and travel.

Make checks to Dive Travel Services and send to PO Box 30108 Honolulu HI 96820.  I can do PayPal with a 3.5% charge (PayPal invoice is sent out that you can pay with any credit card).

Payments Schedule: Liveaboard payment due on Dec 1st, 2023.  $1000 per person per week for resort weeks also due at this time.  Final payments are due March 1st 2024.  (that is a big payment due Dec 1st for some of you with only $250 in at the moment, let me know if you need to break that up into two payments – I can’t do that for everyone, but I can do it for a few people if needed).

Trip Insurance

Yes, you should get it for a trip this far and to the third world.  Dive Accident insurace for sure, but Trip insurance to protect the investment.  Read my article about it to get some education.